Frequently, access to applications is protected by weak authentication credentials. Users use weak forms of authentication because users find it difficult to remember fortified forms of authentication. The user's difficulty is compounded when different authentication credentials are required to access each application of a myriad of applications. An example of a weak form of authentication is a simple password that is easy to guess.
Enterprises have a need for fortified authentication credentials in order to protect access to their enterprise application system. Fortified authentication is driven by risk mitigation and regulatory compliance. In one approach, enterprises implement a two-factor authentication for each application in their enterprise application system. A two-factor authentication combines a strong password with an authentication token. Such a two-factor authentication leverages what the user possesses (the authentication token) and what the user knows (the password). The use of fortified authentication including the use of two-factor authentication in order to access each application distributed across several computers, including remote computers, imposes a considerable burden on the user.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a method and system for using fortified authentication credentials without requiring the user to manually authenticate herself for logging into each computer on which a desired application is managed and without requiring the manual authentication that is required to access each desired application.